Albert Barnes Commentary Micah 6:15

"Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine." — Micah 6:15 (ASV)

You shall sow, but you shall not reap. Micah renews the threats of the law (Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:30, Deuteronomy 28:38–41), which they had been habitually breaking. Those prophecies had been fulfilled before, throughout their history; they have been fulfilled recently in Israel for similar oppression of the poor (Amos 5:11). Their frequent fulfillment spoke as much of a law of God’s righteousness, punishing sin, as the yearly supply in the ordinary course of nature spoke of His loving Providence. It is the bitterest punishment to the covetous to have the things which they coveted taken away before their eyes; it was a sign of God’s Hand, that He took them away when they were just within their grasp.

The prophet brings it before their eyes, so that they might feel beforehand the bitterness of losing them. Montanus says: “They would lose, not only what they gained unjustly, but the produce of their labor, care, and industry; as, in agriculture, it is said that there is mostly much labor, little fraud, much benefit.”

Harvest is a proverb for joy: they joy before You according to the joy in harvest (Isaiah 9:3); wine makes glad the heart of man, and oil is to make him a cheerful countenance (Psalms 104:15). But the harvest will be turned into sorrow; the oil and wine will be taken away when all the labor has been employed (Jeremiah 5:17; Jeremiah 48:37). Yet, since all these operations in nature are suited to be, and are used as, symbols of spiritual things, then the words which describe them are suited to be spiritual proverbs. Spiritually, he sows and reaps not, who sows to the flesh, and of the flesh reaps corruption (Galatians 6:8)—corruptible things, and inward decay and condemnation.

He treads the olive who, by shameful deeds contrary to the law, grieves the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30), and therefore does not obtain gladness of spirit; he makes wine, yet drinks not wine, who teaches others, not himself.

They too take hold but do not deliver: those who for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away; who repent for a while and then fall back into old sins, or in other ways bring no fruit to perfection; taking up the Cross for a while and then growing weary; using religious practices, such as more frequent prayer or fasting, and then growing tired; cultivating some graces and then despairing because they do not see the fruits.

These tread the olive, but are not anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit of grace—those who (Rib.), “end by doing for the sake of man, what they had thought to do out of the love for God, and abandon, for some fear of man, the good which they had begun.”